lux

I have an LS1 in a 1972 Chevy C10.
I'm putting in a Vintage Air kit and had the battery out for a long while. I accidentally hooked the battery leads up backwards when putting it back in.
After a short time when I realized what I did, I then hooked it up correctly then checked all fuses that I know about and they were all good.
Now when I turn the key to the on position, all gages come as like normal, the ECU light turns on as normal and I hear the fuel pump running , but only for about 3 seconds. Then it seems to all go dead. Obviously I turn the switch to ignition and nothing happens. If I turn it back off and wait then turn to on it does the same thing.
I feel like an idiot.
Does anyone have any advise?

Jontall

Hooking the positive cable to the negative battery terminal would do nothing. Hooking the negative cable to the positive battery terminal will cook the battery/cable. Did you check to see if the battery is bad or shorted? Alternator wire from battery bad? Pull starter and test it; same with alternator. Did you have a battery charger on it after you hooked it up backwards (this would cause problems; cooked ECU and sensors)?

Pop N Wood

iTrader: (1)

Was the swap running prior to hooking the battery up backwards?

Maybe you just disconnected something by accident.

lux

Thanks guys,
I think your all leading me in the right direction.
A little more info; After it goes through its normal start up of about 3 seconds, then things seem to die over a second or so. The LED display on my Ride Tech controller slowly goes black. That seems to me like it loses voltage.
Ive read on some other forums that it could be a fusible link or it could be a voltage regulator. Ive also read that the voltage regulator is probably inside the alternator.
Can any one tell me the best way to check for all the above? I have a multi meter.

Also, I did hook up a battery charger but only after I had put the cables back on correctly.

Thanks a Lot

lux

Thank goodness I found the problems,
first problem is that I'm an idiot.
Second problem is the 60 amp fuse on the firewall. Which is a hell of a lot cheaper than a new computer to replace.
I checked this fuse immediately after the problem first happened with my meter on the two little exposed leads on the top of the fuse. It showed continuity. It wasn't until I pulled it out and looked at it that I saw it was not good. I guess it had a tiny bit of connection left the first time I checked it.
The engine starts up and runs fine now.
Thanks a lot guys for pointing me in the right direction. I hope you all at least got a chuckle out of my stupidity

G Atsma

The chuckle is at ourselves that stuff like this happens to all the time! We are NOT alone.... lol

Michael Yount

iTrader: (1)

I guess you wanted your old Chevy to be British for a little while....."positive earth"....

G Atsma

It was almost "positively grounded"! lol

Pop N Wood

iTrader: (1)

That could be on the top of half of our problem lists.

BTW, I don't think you can check continuity on a fuse with it still in the fuse holder and you certainly can't do it with the fuse installed and the battery hooked up. Pull the fuse and check continuity that way.

Speaking of reverse charges had a buddy in the service claim he charged up a dead battery on his tractor with the charger hooked up backwards. He said the diesel started up with the reverse charge and ran backwards. Once he figured out what he did he just drained the battery and charged it back up correctly.

Not sure if an old tractor diesel with mechanical injection and minimal electronics will really run backwards but he said it did. He also had some sea stories that were hard to believe so who knows. They were pretty good stories so I liked talking to him.

Michael Yount

iTrader: (1)